Highly qualified employment in Bulgaria—not merely an offer from any EU employer—with matching qualifications and the Bulgarian salary test.
Route overview
Highly qualified employer work
Typical timeline / duration: Up to five years, normally at least 24 months. For a contract shorter than 24 months: contract plus three months, capped at 24 months—not five years.
Important notes
Have a valid employment contract or binding job offer for highly qualified work in Bulgaria lasting at least six months.
Meet the Bulgarian EU Blue Card salary threshold, which is set at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary under the applicable national rules.
Show higher professional qualifications for an unregulated profession, or recognition of the national requirements for a regulated profession.
Provide a valid travel document, health insurance, criminal-record evidence, accommodation, and the type D visa or residence documents required for the application.
Article 33к(2) caps a short-contract grant at 24 months. The longer standard card duration is not guaranteed for a six-month offer.
The Commission page gives a salary example labelled 2023; it is not a verified 2026 salary or fee table. Confirm the applicable current Bulgarian salary amount and official charges before applying.
No Blue Card labour-market test is shown in the Commission guidance, but the Bulgarian employment/residence procedure and employer/activity conditions still apply. This is not an unrestricted EU-wide work authorisation.
Preparation checklist
Obtain a Bulgarian highly qualified job contract or binding offer and confirm its length.
Ask the employer to confirm the current salary formula and applicable amount for your case.
Arrange qualification/recognition evidence matching the regulated or unregulated profession.
Collect identity, insurance, housing and criminal-record documents against the current authority checklist.
Check the short-contract 24-month cap before planning around a five-year stay.
Confirm the visa/residence sequence and any employer-change or mobility conditions.